Finding Jaime

Chapter 88

"Hi, Jaime!" A little voice pulled me out of sleep.

"Marvel!" I heard. "I told you not to wake Jaime up!"

"But Momma..." Marvel whined. "Jaime home! I miss him!"

"It's okay, I'm awake now," I mumbled. I felt my bed shift and opened my eyes. Marvel had climbed up and was sitting beside me on my bed.

"Hi, Jaime," she smiled at me.

"Hey, Marvel," I said, smiling at her.

"Momma say you had a sir-Gerry," she said. "Who sir-Gerry?"

I smiled.

"Surgery. I had to have a new port put in my shoulder," I said.

"Oh," Marvel said. I didn't think she understood me at all, but that's okay.

"You staying home now?" She asked.

"Tonight, yeah. But I'm going back on tour with Dad tomorrow," I said. Marvel's face fell.

"I don't want you to. I want you to stay home," Marvel pouted.

"I'll be home soon," I said.

"But I miss you. You tell good bedtime stories," she whined.

"Want me to read to you tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah!"

"Hey, I have an idea," I said. "How about you give me some of your books, and when I can, when I am not feeling too sick or it isn't too late, I can call Momma's phone and we can video chat and I'll read to you."

Marvel's face lit up.

"Really?!" She squealed.

"Sure," I smiled.

Mom came in just then.

"Momma! Jaime gonna take some of my books and call you and read on FaceTime to me!"

Mom looked at me with a smile on her face.

"Every night?"

"Jaime sayed when he not feel sick and when it's not too late."

I nodded.

"I'm guessing tomorrow will be one of those exceptions?"

I shrugged.

"I'll see how I feel. Last time I had chemo I felt crappy for a couple of hours but by the show I felt okay for a bit and watched."

"Well, I guess we'll play it by ear. Are you hungry? I could make you some lunch," Mom said.

"I could go for something. Sure," I said, getting up.  Marvel hopped down off my bed and took my hand.

"You can stay up here if you're still feeling off. I can bring you a sandwich,"

"It's okay. I feel like moving around a bit," I said, stretching and yawning.

Mom smiled at me and Marvel and I followed Mom down the stairs.

I sat at the breakfast bar while Mom made me a sandwich. Which I could have totally made myself, but I still felt a little groggy. I was probably going to sleep some more after I ate.

I sat at the breakfast bar and ate my sandwich while Mom asked about the first part of tour and how I was enjoying it.

"It's fun. It's weird though. Like, every night they do the same thing and yet every night it's just a bit different."

Mom smiled and nodded.

"And I'm learning so much from the sound techs," I said. "I think I might become a sound tech or a producer or something. It's really cool to watch what they do. I was watching the sound board at soundcheck one day and they were showing me how one button can make a difference in volume, tone, pitch, and everything. He made Dad's microphone sound like Mickey Mouse was singing. It was hilarious."

Mom smiled at me.

"I'm glad you're learning something as well. How are you feeling in general?"

I shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. Don checks in on me a lot. And Thomas, the security guy. He sorta became my babysitter I guess. He checks in on me if I go back to the bus before or during the show."

"I'm glad your dad has people keeping an eye on you when he can't."

"He's doing alright. He checks in," I said, feeling I had to defend Dad. Even though I didn't think Mom was saying anything bad about him.

"I know. He calls every night and tells me what you have been up to. And if you're asleep, how your day was. Before he tells me anything about the show," Mom smiled. I blushed a bit. "He's really enjoying having you with him. He's worried you're not having fun."

"I am!" I protested. "Except after chemo."

"Well, I bet," Mom smiled at me.

"It's a lot cooler than I thought it would be. But there's a lot of downtime. Especially on the bus between cities."

"That there is. Are you doing your schoolwork?" 

"Yes, Mom," I said in a sort of bratty tone. She shot me a sarcastic frown and we both smiled.

"Jaime, we go swimming?" Marvel asked.

"I'm not sure Jaime should get his port wet, considering he just had it in," Mom said. Marvel's face fell.

"I have an idea," I said. Marvel perked up. "I can't, well, shouldn't get my shoulders all wet, but what if I put on a T-shirt and a bathing suit and I sit on the stairs and you can swim around me there?" I suggested. Marvel's face lit up and she looked over at Mom. She smiled.

"That sounds like it could work. Go get your bathing suit on, Marvel," she said. I smiled as she ran up the stairs. I picked up my plate, put it in the dishwasher and started heading up to my room to change into a bathing suit.  Mom stopped me.

"Jaime, I'm really, really proud of how you're doing now. From the angry, and dare I say it, scared kid who came here a few months ago, to what you've been facing and dealing with, you've always been so sweet and kind with Marvel. I want you to know, she really, really loves you. We all do. I wanted you to know that," she said. I blushed, a little. Then she wrapped her arms around me. "You're a good kid, Jaime. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

I looked down at Meagan and saw something I hadn't realized I'd missed seeing.

Love. She really did love me. I really did have a new mom who would look out for me. A tear slipped out of my eye.

"Hey, what's this?" She asked, smiling.

"Thanks, Meg- I mean, Mom. That means a lot. And as for Mar, well, c'mon. She's Mar. who can't love that little ankle biter?"

Mom laughed.

"Jaime. You can talk to me about anything, okay?  Absolutely anything. If you can't or don't want to talk to your dad about things I am always, always here for you. Okay?"

I nodded. I didn't trust my voice just then. Even my own mom hadn't said that in a while. I knew I could have spoken to her about anything but at the end, I was just to mad at her. Mad at her decision to stop treatment. Mad at the cancer that was going to make me an orphan. Until I found out about Dad. And my whole new family.